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Policies and Procedures

for students studying away at a Global Academic Center

NYU's Global Academic Centers offer a wide variety of course offerings from undergraduate departments across the University. Academic policies have been developed to give students as consistent an experience as possible across NYU's global network. Due to differences in location and culture, some academic policies may vary from site to site. Students should always adhere to local policies as presented at orientations and posted in handbooks and other resources. In addition, some policies differ depending on the student's home school, therefore students should also be sure to check their school’s website.

Academic Requirements for Study Away Students

Study abroad at Global Academic Centers is an academically intensive and immersive experience, in which students from a wide range of backgrounds exchange ideas in discussion-based seminars. Learning in such an environment depends on the active participation of all students. And since classes typically meet once or twice a week, even a single absence can cause a student to miss a significant portion of a course. To ensure the integrity of this academic experience, class attendance at the centers is mandatory, and unexcused absences will be penalized with a two percent deduction from the student’s final course grade for every week's worth of classes missed. Students are responsible for making up any work missed due to absence. Repeated absences in a course may result in harsher penalties including failure.

All students are required to participate in Global Orientations when studying at Global Academic Centers. This program engages students in the intellectual life of the center and prepares them for their regular course work by giving them a basic foundation in the history and culture of the host community. The content and structure of the program vary from site to site.

NYU is committed to ensuring that students are immersed as much as possible in local cultures when they study abroad. This commitment is reflected in the mandatory language instruction at seven GNU locations: Berlin, Buenos Aires, Florence, Madrid, Paris, Shanghai, and Tel Aviv. At these sites, students are required to take either a language course for a letter grade or (if they have already achieved advanced proficiency) a content course taught in the language of the host country.

As the University's policy on "Academic Integrity for Students at NYU" states: "At NYU, a commitment to excellence, fairness, honesty, and respect within and outside the classroom is essential to maintaining the integrity of our community. By accepting membership in this community, students take responsibility for demonstrating these values in their own conduct and for recognizing and supporting these values in others." Students at Global Academic Centers must follow the University and school policies.

Auditing (i.e., attending class sessions without intending to receive credit) is allowed in exceptional circumstances, with the consent of the instructor, the site director, and the student’s home school. This option is restricted to full-time matriculated or visiting students; students who are not enrolled at the site are not permitted to audit courses (with the exception of students at local universities that have an exchange agreement with the site).

Auditors may not preempt space required for registered students. No points or letter grades are awarded for audited courses, and no withdrawals will be honored or refunds granted on audited courses. Courses cannot be audited as a means of satisfying requirements for an incomplete grade or as a means of changing a previous grade.

To request to audit a course, students must fill out the form below and submit it to the academic office at the site. This form, which must be signed by the instructor, includes a required statement of expectations for the auditor’s participation in the class. Please note that auditors may not be able to participate in some activities associated with the course, such as travel.

NYU Global Programs Auditing Contract (PDF) - It is recommended that students first consult the academic office at the site before filling in this form to formally request auditing a class. The form should be filled out in consultation with the instructor.

An “incomplete” is a temporary grade that indicates that the student has, for good reason, not completed all of the course work. This grade is not awarded automatically nor is it guaranteed; rather, the student must ask the instructor for a grade of “incomplete,” present documented evidence of illness, an emergency, or other compelling circumstances, and clarify the remaining course requirements with the instructor.

In order for a grade of “incomplete” to be registered on the transcript, the student must fill out a form, in collaboration with the course instructor and the academic administration at the site; it should then be submitted to the site’s academic office. The submitted form must include a deadline by which the missing work will be completed. This deadline may not be later than the end of the following semester.

Students are encouraged to respect the integrity and authority of the professor's grading system and are discouraged from pursuing arbitrary challenges to it. If a student believes an inadvertent error was made in the grading of an individual assignment or in assessing an overall course grade, a request to have the grade re-evaluated may be submitted. Once a final grade has been submitted by the instructor and recorded on the transcript, it cannot be changed by turning in additional course work. To appeal an assigned final grade, the student should first email the course instructor requesting clarification about how the grade was determined. If the student is not satisfied with the outcome of the discussion and wishes to appeal the grade further, a formal written appeal should be submitted to the site director. This appeal must be submitted within 30 days after the grade has been posted; appeals that are submitted after this deadline will not be considered.

Once an appeal has been received, the site director will conduct an independent review of the grade, in consultation with the director of undergraduate studies (or equivalent) of the academic unit sponsoring the course, as well as with the Office of Global Programs. The student’s work will be reviewed to clarify how the grade was determined and to ensure the grade is consistent with the academic guidelines and policies of the department; for this reason, students should retain the assignment(s) or exam(s) in question. The decision of the site director in matters related to a course grade is final.

Important Academic Deadlines

Students should refer to the deadlines posted on their Global Academic Center Calendar, accessed via the dropdown menu below:

Drop/Add

Students may change their course registration on Albert through the first two weeks of each fall and spring semester. The Drop/Add deadline is noted on each Global Academic Center's calendar.

FOR ALL SCHOOLS EXCEPT NYU ABU DHABI: Students may drop courses without a "W" noted on their transcript until the end of the third week of classes for the fall and spring semesters. After the third week of classes students will receive a "W" on their transcript when withdrawing from a class. (See Withdrawing from a Course.) Finally, during the third week of classes, students may also add a course if given special permission.

Pass/Fail Declaration: Forms and Procedures

Students should follow the procedures listed below in order to declare the pass/fail option for a course while studying away at a Global Center. Pass/Fail requests must be submitted by the deadline noted on each Global Academic Center Calendar. (Students are subject to the pass/fail policies of their home schools; thus, posted deadlines have been set in accordance with home school policies. Please note, however, that Global Programs requires all students to take their required language course for graded credit.) It is highly recommended to consult your academic advisor before declaring the pass/fail option. For information on finding your advisor please visit the Finding Your Advisor webpage.

Some courses in the following departments are graded on a pass/fail system: Graduate Acting, Dance, ITP, and Graduate Musical Theatre Writing. All other departments use the letter grade system. In addition to these courses, undergraduates may petition to take a course on a pass/fail basis, subject to the following conditions:

• A student may take no more than one course each semester on a pass/fail basis, including the summer sessions.
• No more than 32 credits of courses taken pass/fail can be counted toward the student’s degree. Tisch courses specifically designed to be pass/fail are not included in the 32-credit maximum.
• The choice to take a course pass/fail must be made by the end of the fifth week of the semester (second week of the six-week summer session).
• The grade of P includes the grades of A, B, C, and D, and is not counted in the student’s GPA. A grade of F is counted in the GPA.
• A student may only receive elective credit for courses taken pass/fail. Courses taken pass/fail may not fulfill the major, minor, or general education requirement.
• Once a course has been registered as pass/fail, the registration cannot be changed to letter-grade status.
• For all students abroad who are interested in requesting the pass/fail option, please email tisch.academic.services@nyu.edu

Non-NYU students should take all NYU courses for a letter grade, as most institutions will not transfer credit for pass/fail courses. Students should consult their home institution if they wish to receive a pass/fail grade on their transcript. If their home school approves, and they would like to have a pass/fail grade appear on their NYU transcript, please have their home school study abroad advisor email global.academics@nyu.edu with an approval of the pass/fail request.

Withdrawing from a Course

After the third week of classes (second week for NYU Abu Dhabi students), withdrawing from a course will result in a "W" on your transcript. Requests to withdraw from a course, with a "W" on your transcript must be submitted by the last day to withdraw from a course deadline noted on each Global Academic Center's Calendar.

You should first consult with your academic advisor to be sure you are fully aware of the implications of receiving a "W" on your transcript, and to inform them of your current academic progress. For information on finding your advisor please visit the Finding Your Advisor webpage.

Inform your professor and appropriate on-site staff of your intention to withdraw from the course

Provide the full course ID number, section number, and call number of the course you wish to withdraw from.

Attach written (email) permission from your academic advisor

Complete Semester Withdrawal

Students wishing to withdraw completely after arriving at their host Global Academic Center must first consult staff in either academic life or student life at their host center and must also be in touch with their home school academic advisor. Please note that only enrolled students are allowed to remain in NYU housing. Students wishing to cancel their attendance before arrival should contact their Study Away Advisor or global.admissions@nyu.edu. Students wishing to withdraw from courses with a "W" on their transcript must adhere to the Withdraw with a "W" deadline noted on each Global Academic Center's Calendar.

Tuition Refund Schedules

Global Academic Centers run on individual calendars. While the refund policy is consistent across NYU, dates vary by location.

Tuition Refund Schedule for Complete Withdrawal

Withdrawal through the site's offical first day of classes.

100% of Tuition and Fees

Through the end of the first calendar week of classes

100% of Tuition only

Second calendar week of classes

70% of Tuition only

Third calendar week of classes

55% of Tuition only

Fourth calendar week of classes

25% of Tuition only

After the fourth week of classes

No Refund

Tuition Insurance Refund Plan

Tuition Refund Insurance is available for families wishing to complement New York University's refund policy. More information is available on the NYU Bursar site here.

Tuition Refund Policy for Individual Courses

Students studying away are required to take a full course load (between 12-18 credits) and pay full time tuition. Tuition charges for full time students remaining between 12-18 credits will not be affected by dropping a course. Those students who are enrolled in more than 18 credits and wish to drop down to between 12-18 credits will receive a 100% refund of Tuition and Fees if they drop during the first two weeks of the semester. There is no refund if a course is dropped after the first two weeks. Please note that the study away semester begins with the First Day of Classes listed on the site calendars. Each calendar week is counted beginning with the First Day of classes listed on the site calendars.

Study Away Housing Refund Schedule

Enrolling for over 18 points in the fall or spring semester

All students studying away at a Global Academic Center must be enrolled full time. A full time load at NYU is between 12 and 18 points (12 and 20 points for School of Engineering students*). Additional tuition is charged for enrolling in over 18 points and students must receive special permission. Students who wish to "overload" by taking more than 18 points during a fall or spring semester at a Global Academic Center should complete the following steps:

Review the information regarding the additional tuition and fees overloading entails on the Bursar's website and write to global.academics@nyu.edu acknowledging that you have reviewed and accept the additional tuition and fees.

After receiving your acknowledgement of the additional fees and official written approval from your academic advisor, the Office of Global Programs will review your request in consultation with the Global Academic Center Director at your destination site, who must also approve your request. You will be notified, and if approved, your credit load limit will be raised in Albert allowing you to enroll for additional credits.

*NYU School of Engineering Students full time tuition covers 12 to 20 points. These students do not require special permission to enroll in 20 points and do not incur extra fees. Students should be aware however that 20 points is beyond the traditional course load for most students at a Global Academic Center, and students enrolling in 20 points should be prepared for a challenging academic semester.

Requesting a Transcript

Visiting students must request their NYU transcript from the NYU Office of the Registrar. Transcripts contain confidential academic information and are released in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), and therefore will not be issued without authorization from the student/alumnus. The Office of Global Programs recommends that students request their transcript through the Albert student center. Simply log on to albert.nyu.edu with your NetID, click on the Student Center, select transcript official from the drop-down menu, and follow the directions on the screen. (Former NYU Study Away students should still have a valid NYU NetID. If you know your NetID but you do not remember your password, or your password has expired, go to start.nyu.edu to reset your password. If you do not remember your NYU NetID email global.academics@nyu.edu for assistance.) Further information on requesting transcripts can be found on the NYU Registrar's Website. Tip: Before you complete your transcript request, check to ensure that all your grades have been posted. You can check for your grades in Albert by either selecting Grades or Transcript-Unofficial from the drop-down menu in the Albert student center.